TAMANI Marina Hotel was once again in the forefront of ensuring the success of a global initiative that was observed in the UAE on March 29 with the aim of creating effective awareness and public participation in conserving energy and rational use of electricity.

Walid Al-Awa, General Manager, TAMANI Marina Hotel, said: “Under TAMANI Green Initiative, we have been actively involved in initiatives that benefit the society and industry. We created awareness literature that benefitted our staff and guests from various nationalities. During that day, we shut down the lights at our property and invited all our in-house guests to gather in the lobby and lit candles as we did every year.”

Hotels in Dubai have one of the highest rates of water and electricity consumption in the world, according to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) website which has published conservation tips for the industry to follow. Tourism industry has been actively participating in the global initiative over the years, thereby keeping the UAE in the lead.

The campaign aims to educate the public about the importance of conserving energy by adopting simple yet effective methods such as switching to energy-efficient bulbs, unplugging unused appliances and adjusting the air conditioner to 24 degree celsius. The campaign is in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the UAE Vision 2021 to establish the UAE as one of the best nations in the world.

DEWA is working towards achieving the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 to reduce the demand for energy by 30 per cent in 2030 and promote all-round sustainability, including the rational use of electricity and water.

This year’s Earth Hour initiative took place from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm on March 29 (Saturday). Earth Hour is the single largest mass movement that helps the world target climate change. Earth Hour is a worldwide grass-roots movement for the planet organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Earth Hour has grown from a one-city initiative in 2007 to a 7001 cities global movement inspiring hundreds of millions of people across 154 countries and territories.

The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) had instituted Dubai Green Tourism Award in 2009. The programme helped reduce the consumption of electricity by 10 per cent in the participating hotel establishments as against the targeted 7 percent. According to Farnek Avireal survey, the average individual electricity usage is said to be 20,000 KWh hours per annum and 130 gallons of water daily, putting Dubai among the cities with the highest consumption per person in the world.

The hotel also organised celebrations to mark the Mother’s Day on March 22. The hotel conducted a reception in which guests who are mothers participated. A ceremonial cake was cut to salute motherhood. The hotel also offered complimentary meals for mothers when dining with their families at its restaurant, Nar & Hail.